The Speed of Love

"Pursue Love...." I Cor. 14:1


Many disciples of Jesus believe that true spirituality would require a significant change in the speed at which they live. Faster would mean less spiritual. Slow would mean more spiritual. Mountain retreat would mean spiritual. Busy life in the city would mean less spiritual.

The reality is very different. No choice of speed on our part is needed. True spirituality is able to move at any speed in any place. We must pursue something much deeper than speed. We must pursue love.

True spirituality is about a continuous inspiration and orientation which comes from abiding in Christ and always produces love. To abide in Christ is to enjoy a barrier-free, moment by moment inspiration and orientation from Christ's Spirit within. We must choose to abide in Jesus' love moment by moment and then He chooses our speed. We choose the inner and He chooses the outer.

Once we make the choice to begin all inspiration and orientation in Jesus as our source, He will increase or decrease the speed of our activity as needed. Divine speed setting is part of what it means to pray "Your will be done."

Think of a pilot flying a modern jet airplane. The most important question is not speed. The question is sufficient inspiration (power from the engines) and orientation (direction and altitude). Losing power or losing altitude and direction is the real danger.

The spiritual life is somewhat like flying. It is a moment by moment inspiration and orientation found in Christ. Speed problems won't kill spirituality but a loss of inspiration and orientation eventually will.

Divine speed setting is called walking in the Spirit, living in the Spirit, being filled by the Spirit. It is called abiding in Christ and living by faith.

What we need is complete confidence that Jesus abides in us by His Spirit as both our continuous inspiration and orientation. Staying focused on Jesus inspires and orients us to move in the right direction at the speed of love.

The speed of love may be as slow as sitting by the bedside of a sick friend or it may be fast as leading a major company. It will probably be both for some. All of us will have what I call "monk" days. All of us will have what I call "executive" days. Some days we will be executive monks!

Jesus in us will set the speed of our love. Our job is to receive by faith from Jesus within the inspiration and orientation to release perfectly timed love.

Stay inspired and oriented in Jesus and the speed of your life will be the exact speed of the love only you are called and equipped to deliver.